The French National Union for Families and Friends of People Suffering Mental Illness and/or Psychological Disability (Unafam) offers several approaches that could improve the treatment of people with mental illness who have committed offences. The European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture have also recently denounced the current practices.

As a result of the thematic paper Walling up madness in eight European countries, Unafam is presenting the following perspectives and conclusions.

Prisoners Exercising, Van Gogh. From Unafam.

The way society looks at a “crazy person” is becoming increasingly less compassionate

In Switzerland, all prison guards receive five days of training in basic psychiatry

None of our European neighbours' systems are transferable as such.

L'Unafam

UNION NATIONALE DE FAMILLES ET AMIS DE PERSONNES MALADES ET/OU HANDICAPÉES PSYCHIQUES

L’Unafam accueille, écoute, soutient, forme, informe et accompagne, depuis 1963, les familles et l’entourage de personnes vivant avec des troubles psychiques. L’association compte près de 15 000 familles adhérentes et 2000 bénévoles.
L’Unafam lutte contre la stigmatisation et porte la mission de défenses des intérêts communs des personnes concernées et de leurs proches. Aussi, afin d’aider les familles qui accompagnent des personnes malades et /ou handicapées psychiques qui se trouvent dans un parcours pénal, l’Unafam a édité un guide “Comment aider un proche malade psychique confronté à la justice pénale ?”